Sweet Beginnings
by ILoveKuramaTooMuch
Summary: They called him "monster," yet he managed to find something precious, and keep it. What happened that day, changed Reiga's whole future.


**Credits in this story belong to mariedee36 for her selfless help with editings, and good title, and to syleria11 for her incredibly excited feedback. Both are very much appreciated. :) Everyone else enjoy! Reviews will be great ;)**

„You are a monster!"

„I am not playing with you!"

„My otou-san will send you away!"

Little voices carried quite clearly through the sunlit afternoon in Giou village, accompanied by a pair of well-aimed stones... as they struck a small, black-haired boy on the forehead. The child appeared to be about five years old, with long strands of soft black hair flowing about his handsome, sweet face, where a pair of silvery-moon eyes looked back at his tormentors, hands tightly clenched into tiny fists by his sides. He did not turn around and run when they threw at him... not even when a small streak of blood appeared from the gashes on his forehead. He was not bad!

A smile appeared on the boy's face, scaring the other children into panicked cries, as they ran in hysteria to hide behind their parents. Silence suddenly fell upon the boy... and only then did his narrow shoulders slump... and a small fist rose to rub the first hints of salty wetness from the corners of splendid moon-silvered eyes. He turned his back on the village and slowly walked in between a thick growth of bushes. He would hide like on any other day... and creep back into his small empty hut under the merciful cover of darkness.

„You shouldn't be hiding... you are just playing into their nasty game!" Those words struck Reiga, for that was the boy's name, like a palm into the face. He stopped in his tracks, afraid to look for the source of the voice.

„Oh, you are hurt!"

And then, a small hand, just like his own, touched Reiga's shoulder, pulling at him to turn around slightly. „Let me aid you! Even if you are planning to run away as soon as I am finished, you'd just draw beasts to the smell of blood."

Shocked that someone would show this much concern for his dreaded persona, the black-haired child, for the first time, looked at his companion, just as a small, cool palm brushed tenderly over his bleeding skin. Then, before he was forced to close his eyes due to the pain... Reiga held his breath, fascinated by the sight of light green pools watching him with some unknown emotion from a slightly frowning but handsome face. _„Kirei..."_

And that was when recognition dawned on him as well. „G-Giou Takashiro?!" He quickly became alerted, realizing that his companion was the village leader's son. „You shouldn't be seen with me! Just go away!" He would have angrily pushed the smaller boy away, but his hand halted in mid-air, watching the other's face crumble into a defeated mask, not unlike the one he himself had been wearing just moments ago...

„I don't care," came a quiet, but determined reply, and Reiga's eyes widened, as his hand was gently held back, and a soft kerchief touched the patch of blood streaming down the side of his face. His eyes scrunched, even as Takashiro tried his best to not cause Reiga any more pain. His face wore an expression of mature focus. „OH, that's a nasty gash," he hissed, worried. „Here, let me..."

Opening his scrunched eyes, Reiga looked in awe as Takashiro's small hand glowed light pink, forcing the taller boy to blink in confusion... And then the pain was gone.

„There," Takashiro looked rather happy at the result of his small attempt at magic. He'd learned this spell not so long ago himself, and was actually worried that it would not work.

They stood in silence for a moment, the brown-haired boy watching his black-haired companion, as he touched the side of his head carefully, his eyes widening in awe. Finally it became obvious that neither of them actually intended to leave first, and a small spark of warmth wormed its way into Reiga's empty heart. His pale, thin hand crossed the distance between them slowly, even as he nodded his acceptance. „Okay."

Rewarded by a beautiful smile, the black-haired boy barely took time to consider what more could life have in store for him, from this moment on. He just walked behind Takashiro's smaller form, thinking that he honestly didn't care, and sticking his tongue at the sky, his head tilting upwards, unaware of the small chuckles escaping from his friend's lips, when his funny actions were spotted.

„You are not serious?!"

It was almost evening, not quite dark yet, and the pair of new friends stood in front of a small bamboo hut, which to any bypassing eye, might look good enough to stable a goat... or two.

„This is your home? B-but, it looks so cold. Are your parents away?" Takashiro's confusion was growing with each second, as the taller boy simply stood beside him, hands hanging by his too-thin sides, a pair of beautiful eyes looking to the side in attempt to avoid the explanation demanded of him.

A hint of selfishness blazed in Reiga's eye. „I am not telling! You'd leave if you knew the truth." A small voice sounded sulky, a hand in Takashiro's grasp fighting to not tremble. _„What if I tell him? Would he really leave me?"_ A sigh left Reiga's lips, and in that moment, Takashiro understood, why the answers to his questions were not forthcoming. His small kind heart clenched in sympathy.

„Come with me," an oddly mature voice caused Reiga's head to jerk in surprise, and he stared at the brown-haired boy in wonder, while the clan leader's son already turned on his heels, pulling his new friend along by the wrist.

Quietly, feeling confused and even more helpless, the black-haired child followed, his eyes staring intently at their joined hands. There was warmth spreading through that connection, warming his thin, frail body... He was suddenly feeling safe with his new friend, something urging him to simply close his eyes and give in to the need to relax, while Takashiro was protecting him, before he would be cast away once more...

They stopped in front of the Giou leader's large house, and Reiga shivered as a chill ran down his spine. „W-what are you do-doing? Why am I here, Taka? I should get back to my hut and go to sleep..." His voice died instantly, as Takashiro stepped forward, and pushed the sliding door open, pulling his new friend inside. Then the boys came to an abrupt stop, finding their path blocked by the tall, intimidating figure of the Giou leader himself.

„Good evening, Father," Takashiro bowed, even as Reiga mumbled a similar greeting, following his example.

„What is the meaning of this?!" A long thin finger lifted, pointing at Reiga, making the boy want to hide somewhere... anywhere, just to be able to disappear from that rather hostile, penetrating gaze of the Giou senior. „You dare bring such... such abomination to our house? Have you gone out of your mind, son?"

Frowning, with his eyes flashing, Takashiro made another step forward, blocking the path of that finger, as he looked up at the angry man, „He is my new friend, Father, and I just found out that he has no parents, or anyone else to take care of him... and that his hut is empty and broken and cold. I thought that he could live with us, but why are you calling Reiga in such ugly words?!" Noticing that the thin boy cringed at his side, Takashiro grabbed firmer hold of that cold, thin hand, squeezing it encouragingly.

„That is something you need not know," was the leader's answer, as the man readied to call for a servant, obviously considering his words the end of discussion.

„He is not going anywhere, Father, and how can you even allow this to happen? I played with Reiga today, and he is so nice to me! He is not avoiding me, and he is not afraid to be honest with me! Besides, Reiga is a member of the Giou, is he not? Aren't we supposed to protect our own?" Confusion clearly reflected in the boy's blazing eyes, while his friend kept his own gray gaze on the ground beneath his feet, silent tears of fear staining his pale cheeks. _„Please, let me keep at least one friend,"_ he prayed silently, anxious with the confrontation of father and son happening on his behalf.

„Abominations are not considered our own. He should not have been born in the first place!" The older Giou looked at his son sternly, willing the small child to submit to his authority. Twisting his face into an unfriendly sneer, the man finished, „His father was a demon, my son."

„And he is also human, Father," Takashiro declared, taking another step forward, a determined look in his eye. „Just because his mother was human, and his father Duras, he should not be viewed as any less of a person. He is NOT a monster, nor is he bad. He is my friend. I will see that he is protected, even if I have to do it myself!"

Reiga was not looking at the ground anymore, as his eyes were fixed upon his friend's flushed face. He listened to him in amazement, thinking how the darker shade of pink made Takashiro's usually pale face so radiant.

An oddly surprised expression crossed the clan leader's face briefly, as he looked down upon his tiny, yet very determined son, silently admiring the child's courage. His heart was not without understanding, and Takashiro was _family_ in the first place. He actually did well defending his first matter of interest, the father in him had to admit.

„You would make a fine leader one day," he commented, reaching over and ruffling Reiga's long dark hair playfully. „Are you aware, boy, that from now on, you will be my son's responsibility?"

„Yes, my Lord and leader. I will never let your son down. He is my friend," said the boy, looking up with a pure sweet smile.

The tall man winked at his own beaming son, and then his expression relaxed. „Tomorrow I shall send you with a servant, to collect your things, young Reiga. Now, I believe that my son, in his joy, somewhat forgot about his host duties? You both need a bath and dinner." He turned, walking slowly back towards his office, calling over his shoulder, „And Takashiro has to do his homework, of course," he chuckled, disappearing inside the room...

Some hours later, when the pale moon peeked through partly open shoji into the bedroom of its master's son, two heads were revealed resting upon the futon pillows: one brown-haired, and one black-haired. Faces, turned towards each other, carried hints of smile upon still-childish lips, and a small hand wandered under the coverlet, until it found its counterpart, and small thin fingers wrapped around equally thin warm ones...

„_Can we always be like this, PLEASE?"_


End file.
